TREE/studies___________/sonification of objects in natureSonification, simply put, is the representation of data through sound.

Sonification refers to the process of translating numerical data into sound.
This project is an experiment. The concept was born out of curiosity to hear the actual sound of the Tree(s),
inspired by the idea to be able to illustrate or translate the object through sound using an image as a map.
The goal of this work, by sonifying the chosen Tree, is to investigate its actual sound property, to be able to
hear its own music – the music that exists in nature, and which the human ear is not able to perceive.

An image of a bare tree was digitized and computer analyzed to generate the audio pieces. Approaching this
experiment from many angles - taking into account multidimensionality
of the Tree - different parameters were used:
vertical (pitch) and
horizontal (time) to create sound composition. The result is a humming,
sustaining sound field,
functioning as a double pedal tone in high and
low registers.
The sound of the Tree branches springing through the acoustics of the room using a 6 channel audio system.

This composition is a musical reflection of the actual movement of the tree
branches in space and time.
The “swinging” motion is depicted in the piano melodies and
motives, supported by the video, and complemented by
the spatial sound distribution of 6 channel speaker system. While observing a natural synchronisity between the
movement of the
branches
and the “swinging” sounds of the piano, after some
time, the illusion arises that the
branches are actually producing or
triggering the sound.
Special thanks to: Barbara Woof, Klaas-Jan Govaart, Eyes on Media (www.eyesonmedia.nl)